Uncle Dan's Steamed Shrimp

[gran398]

Guess it seems like I've been hogging this part of the board lately; not intentional,  I just like to eat! (and share with friends). Gonna hit weight-watchers first of the year.....next year.....

My uncle was a caterer around here when I was a kid. His specialty was the Shrimp-A-Roo. Here is his recipe (with some updates) :

Feeds four:

6 lbs. head-on fresh shrimp, bigger the better
3 Bay Leaves, crushed
Budweiser beer (2 beers)
Apple cider vinegar (14 oz)
Coarse Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt
Old Bay

Metal colander
Melted butter

We like the head-on shrimp, for a couple of reasons. After the head-on shrimp get old at the seafood market, they become head-off. Head-on holds more flavor too. A lot of times in recipes, you'll see shrimp cooked head-on, and you can do that here.

Begin by pinching off the heads; as you head them, it is easier if you flip them upside down, legs up, keeping the sharp horns from poking the inside of your hand. Place head-off shrimp in cold water to de-mung; set aside.

In a six quart stock pot with lid, bring the crushed bay leaves, beer and vinegar to a hard boil.  Place the metal colander in the pot.

Add half of the shrimp to the colander, cover, lower heat to medium-high. Stir with wide slotted metal fry spoon after 1-2 minutes, cover. Cook a minute more, check, stir. Remove when small shrimp JUST begin to wrinkle and large ones have just lost their gray color and are orange, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove smaller shrimp first. DO NOT wrinkle the large shrimp. Place all in large bowl.

Repeat as above for batch # 2, using more beer as a base. Cooking in batches, they're easier to monitor, not over-crowded, uniformly cooked.

Immediately after all shrimp are in the bowl and still hot, stir, adding a shake of salt and 1 tbsp. Old Bay to the shrimp in shell, stir and shake. The Old Bay and rock salt melts on the hot shells....Serve HOT with melted butter (clarified if you want to get gourmet) fresh corn on the cob, and hush puppies.

The best thing to me about the recipe is the shrimp are steamed, not boiled. They cook in their own juices, the flavor is not boiled out. I use the same idea (metal colander) with clams, oysters, scallops, lobster, crab, etc, with variations. Works great with appetizers, quick and easy. You can't go wrong here, give it a try, enjoy!

[slvrlng]

You just keep posting! This sounds really good! One question, what is "de-mung" ?
I agree about leaving the heads on. When I lived in Englewood every May when the shrimp were running there was a old guy that would have a steamer going out on the old south bridge. After netting enough and putting them in the bucket he'd pick the big ones and throw them in the steamer They were so damn good and fresh! When you get them alive like that and throw them in they actually twist up! Man do I miss that!

[John Jones]

As long as you are posting recipes that make me drool, feel free to hog this section.  ;)

Heck, I may have to go out and find some shrimp for lunch.

[gran398]

Thanks guys, and want ya'll to give this a whirl....Uncle Dan would be honored.

[smitty 1]

Yum YUm   to the Steamed Shrimp!
I'm originally from Maryland and my Grandady taught me his way, very close to uncle Dan's:

2-3 lbs or fresh shrimp, bigger the better as he said. In a big pot we put that beer in the bottom along with equal amount of cider vinager. Bring it to a boil and put those shrimp in that colander and spinkle them with Old bay to taste, ( about 3 table spoons ful for me). Steam until orange to red in color. The same method works great on blue fin crabs and mud bugs.

[gran398]

Smitty,

Thanks for contributing! I thought about the similarities and differences in the two methods, and pretended that you were Bobby Flay, and I was, well, Uncle Dan.

Biggest difference between the two is yours calls for vinegar, his does not. Vinegar is a traditionally included in seafood boils up north, especially for lobster and crab. And, as you point out, down south for bugs. Seldom do you see vinegar used in shrimp around here, except for maybe a tablespoon thrown in. Guess the thinking has always been that the shrimp have their own subtle flavor, don't need additions/masks.

Decided to throw local thinking out, and try yours. Reduced the vinegar a little tho; 1/3 Budweiser, 1/3 vinegar, 1/3 spring water in the boil-pot.

Used big shrimp from last summer, from the freezer, frozen in water. Did not add salt, Old Bay, etc. to the water, staying true to your recipe.

REALLY fine! They turned out awesome. The vinegar added great flavor, and firmed up the shrimp. EASY to pull from the shells, no digging them out in pieces. Peeled off whole. Terrific flavor. Very slight over-taste of vinegar, but not too harsh. Really surprising that the vinegar wasn't too much.  Dumped them off in a big bowl with a slotted fry-spoon, added sea-salt and Old Bay like we talked about. Totally honest, taste was the same with yours a slight plus, but presentation/ease of serving, hands down, your recipe.

Another good thing, at clean up time, there is no rim of salt/old bay stuck in the pot.

Bobby/Smitty 1, Uncle Dan/Gran 0.

Good stuff, guys. Thanks Smitty, keep it coming!

Edit: mine called for water, no vinegar. Kudos to Smitty.

Recipe edited due to his input.

[John Jones]

where the heck can I get shrimp at 11PM?
 

[gran398]

Dug around a bit more on some cooking sites, the vinegar definitely firms up the meat, and acts as a release agent. Tried it again Sunday for fam/friends, makes a difference.

[gran398]

Guys, had some requests for this recipe, steamed shrimp as served at the Octoberfest reunion....fine-tuned and ready for your gathering. So...here it is

[flounderpounder225]

You just keep posting! This sounds really good! One question, what is "de-mung" ?

Lew

Ever see that yummy stuff in the head of shrimp....Mmmmmm... that's mung... NASTAY!!!!

[Capt. Bill]

You keep posting away. This sounds really guuuuuuud

[slvrlng]

Made this recipe again last night. Man those things were good!

[bondobill]

Lewis

Thanks for bringing this back up, I must have missed it last go round.
So which recipe did you do?

Thanks

Bill

[slvrlng]

The first one Bill.

Edit:  I didn't realize gran had changed the original to include the cider vinegar. This is the secret that makes this soooooo good! Peels just fall off. Make sure to keep them stirred and cook small batches like he says. If you put too many in they start to layer up and the steam can't get to the covered up area. I like dipping them in the butter then into cocktail sauce. Man, they are awesome like that!

[gran398]

Good news is...ya'll have tried and enjoyed the recipe

Bill, edited it a while back to include the apple cider vinegar.

The vinegar does just that....acts a a clean release agent for the shells. Steamed lobster too.

The beer is just as important....froths up, adds great flavor.

Half beer, half apple cider vinegar (no water) and three bays leaves in the boiling pot.  Steamer pot (metal colander) above.

 No way to goof this one.

DO NOT OVERCOOK. Take the babies out first, before they wrinkle. Bigguns a minute later. While hot in the bowl, a lot of Old Bay, a shake or two of sea salt....mix well...you're golden.